This production site in Brazil is just one of SIG's factories to convert to green energy.
SIG Combibloc has switched to using ‘green electricity’ at all of its production sites in Europe, South America, China and Asia-Pacific.
All of the sites will now be supplied 100% with green electricity – where the energy to power the factories can be proven to have come from renewable energy sources such as wind, sun, hydropower, biomass or biogas.
The manufacturer of carton packaging and filling machines said that the move represented ‘an important interim goal at the start of 2017’, and the achievement will contribute to the Swiss company’s objectives of reducing CO2 emissions and promoting the use of renewable resources.
In practice, the milestone involves sourcing electricity – in one case – from biogas plants in Thailand, in which methane from wastewater is extracted and converted to electricity. In addition to climate-friendly power generation, the local population also benefits from the project, in the form of cleaner air, improved water quality, and employment and training opportunities, SIG said.
SIG Combibloc global category manager Arnold Schuhwerk, who is responsible for the business’ group-wide energy procurement, said: “Obtaining source-identified green electricity in Asia is a huge achievement, as these capacities are very scarce and up to now have been acquired almost exclusively by large multinationals. We’re delighted to have reached this goal so quickly.”
Feasibility studies are currently being carried out at several of SIG Combibloc’s sites in Asia to check whether the construction of its own solar power plants are possible – from both the environmental and economical point of view – to further the development.
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